-The Good, The Bad, and Everything In Between ch. 7
Well, I have written 6 chapters for the first year. Hopefully you didn't think that they were too boring. But in the second year my most of my characters have become teenagers. You know the sort, you hate 'em, you love 'em, well hopefully you can have strong emotions for these guys too. I would like to dedicate this chapter, Bittersweet to four people. One, to Geraldine Potter. (that is her pen name) She is whom I have to thank for my 1st review! Yippie for me. The second and third is to aliciaspinnet7and catherinemcq, both of whom happen to be my best friends. And the third doesn't even know me, probably. Jagged Epiphany's fan fiction, Old faces, new tricks is the first fan fiction I have ever read on this site.
It began by my friend, (catherinemcq) saying she'd pay me to read it. At first I refused, but then after reading the first chapter I got hooked. If you think this is good, go read her stuff.
This chapter is named Bittersweet because Rae and everyone else are heading back to Hogwarts for the second year. The word bittersweet is actually an oxymoron, meaning it contradicts itself. But the heck with it. Off you go, then.
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"For goodness sakes hurry up!" Cried Narcissa Malfoy. Behind her, wearing a sour face was Rae Malfoy, and Draco Malfoy. Both were Narcissa's twin children. Draco was tall, and had fine blonde hair, neat and clean. Rae had silky red hair, but more recently with a dyed purple streak on the right side. Both had extreme emerald green eyes.
"Oh my God!" A voice cried from somewhere in the crowd. Rae looked around curious to see whom the voice belonged to. Then, from out of nowhere a figure jumped out at her.
"Pansy!" Rae cried out, delighted to see her friend.
Pansy grinned. "Wow. You look different." She said, raising an eyebrow. Rae looked down at herself. Pansy was right, she did look different. Rae and Draco had celebrated their birthdays over the summer, and Rae had become a teenager. Along with it she had gained a punkish appearance and bold and daring attitude. Currently, she was wearing baggy black cargos and a red halter.
Pansy nudged Rae in the elbow. "Has your brother grown like, 5 inches?"
Rae let out a snort. "No, why?"
"No reason?"
Rae raised an eyebrow. "All right then."
At that moment Draco headed over to the two girls. "Mum and dad left." Rae's face fell. "Did they say goodbye?" Draco nodded. "To me. Mum said have a nice year." Rae grimaced.
Pansy eyed Rae curiously. "You havin' problems with your parents?" She asked curiously.
Rae sighed. "Yeah. Major ones. Since my kind brother here told them I made friends in Gryffindor (Pansy grimaced) they have treated me different." Pansy scrunched her eyes. "How so?"
"My mom ignores me, and my dad screams at me whenever possible." Pansy looked shocked. "But no big." Rae added quickly. "I don't need their approval anymore. I'm not a kid." Pansy shrugged indifferently.
"You're gunna sit with us on the train, right?" Rae shrugged. "Dunno." She said honestly. Pansy shook her head as Rae headed off through the crowd.
Finally, she spotted the group she was looking for.
"Rae!" Came a chorus of two or three. Rae ran over to where 4 students stood, grinning. The first had straight black hair and a lightning scar. "Harry!" She screamed, delighted. Harry smiled and shook her hand. The second had red hair and was carrying a rat in his hands. "Ron." She said in a high-pitched voice, mockingly.
"Oh, Hermione! Your hair looks gorgeous!" Rae gasped. Indeed, it was true. Hermione's once long and tangled brown hair was thinned, brushed and pulled neatly. "Hello, Rae." Hermione smiled.
Rae looked up at the fourth figure. He beamed at her. "Pansy was right." Rae thought, "Everyone had grown like 5 inches." Chase's auburn hair was long and straight. His blue eyes were unusually bright. "Hey." He said. Rae gave everyone a quick hug. "I'm so excited to be back!" she sighed, happily. "My house had been murder for the past 3 months."
Chase cocked his head to the side, as he had done so many times.
"Why?" he asked.
"My parents won't talk to me anymore." Rae winced, seeing their reaction. "But, it's not a big deal. For ¾ of the year I don't even see them. If they don't like it that I hang out with you…and you guys are great, then I don't need them." Harry beamed, and even Ron regarded her more warmly.
"What about your brother?" Hermione asked cautiously.
Rae shrugged, "I guess I don't need him either. Fancy finding a compartment?"
Rae grunted as she threw her suitcase on the rack above the compartment. Harry, Ron, Hermione, Chase and Rae sat down facing each other on the red leather seats/benches.
"I hope Pansy doesn't find out where I am…" Rae mumbled to herself.
"What did you say?" Chase turned to her. Rae shook her head. "Nothing." Rae had noticed along with Chase's new appearance he as also…quieter. Still the bold, never faltering, invulnerable Chase she had met a year ago…just quieter.
Rae looked up and nudged Chase next to her. "You okay? Somethin' wrong?" Ron turned to look at Chase, his cousin. There was an expression on both of their faces she couldn't read.
"If you don't want to tell us, it's ok." She whispered gently, but Chase shook his head.
"No, I'll tell you, but you're going to think it's worse than it actually is." Rae felt a cold shiver run up her spine.
"My dad died." Hermione let out a gasp and Rae clutched his hand supportively. Ron looked embarrassed.
"Where are you living?" Harry asked quietly.
At this time Chase smiled sadly. "My favorite Uncle's house. I'm living at Ron's."
"Oh." Was all Rae could say. She knew she should say something more to comfort him but she couldn't pull the words she wanted to say up through her throat.
"How did he die?" Rae finally asked.
"He finally drank too much. Got in a car and crashed in 5 minutes." Rae narrowed her eyes.
"My dad wasn't a wizard. He didn't even know I went to Hogwarts. He knew I went to school and then I came home. He thought it was a boarding school near London." Chase shook his head, disgusted.
The rest of the train ride was considerably quieter. No one said more than a few words and no one said a thing more about Chase's father.
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The feast in the Great Hall was as good as ever tonight, but Rae couldn't eat. Pansy kept trying to feed her giant helpings of chicken and duck, but Rae refused silently. Even Draco tried to get her to swallow a sip of Pumpkin juice.
Pansy sighed, "Ok, what is the matter with you, Rae?"
Rae shrugged. "Nothing. I'm just so…excited."
"Typical for a little book worm like you." Pansy said disgusted. Rae rolled her eyes happily. "Here comes the bloody baron with our class schedules." Rae cried out gleefully almost bouncing on the bench.
9:00-11:00 I Potions I with Gryffindors
11:00- 12:00I Herbology I with Ravenclaws
12:00-1:00 I Lunch I --------------------------
1:00-2:00 I History of Magic I with Hufflepuffs
2:00- 3:00 ICare of Magical Creatures I with Gryffindors
3:00-4:00 I Astrology I with Ravenclaws
4:00-5:00 I Transfiguration I with Hufflepuffs
Rae leaned over Pansy's shoulder. "We took most of the same classes so…yup. The only difference is toy don't have Astrology when I do." Pansy had on a disgusted face.
"We still have to endure Care of Magical Creatures with that big oaf and the Gryffindors. And Potions too!" Pansy groaned.
"This stinks…oh yeah, I forgot. You have all your little friends in Gryffindor." Rae glared at Pansy. "You too?" Pansy looked sour.
"I just think it's weird, alright? And where were you on the train? I was alone with Draco, Crabbe and Goyle the entire ride!" She complained, though not looking that upset about sharing a compartment with her brother. Rae did feel a little bad, so she made a quick and half-hearted apology to Pansy.
Dumbledor stepped up to the magic microphone that was charmed to be extra loud. He welcomed them back to Hogwarts and blahblahblah.
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Lying in bed that night Rae had her arms crossed behind her head. She loved everything about this place…almost. But here, this is where she felt most comfortable.
Forget her own bed at home. Her house was now a breeding ground for fights and tension. She hated it. Hogwarts, that's where she belonged, with her friends, Harry, Ron, Hermione, Chase and Pansy. She couldn't wait to go through all her 7 years here.
Too bad for Rae that she didn't know she would never complete her 7th year.
Woo. That was some pretty heavy foreshadowing. I promise every chapter won't be like that for the readers that despise it, but for the people who like it (like me) there will be more of it.
Consider this your only warning. :-)